The Oakland International Container Terminal resumed with yard and gate operations yesterday, after dismissing longshoremen who refused to work due to a dispute over staffing levels the day before, the port said in a notice.
The new disruption came a few days after the port reported a reduction in cargo backlog created by a labor contract dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing employers at 29 US West Coast ports. The parties signed a new labor contract back in February.
Labor-management disputes created a logjam at all major West Coast ports over the last three months. The result was a coast-wide delay in releasing import containers to customers. At Oakland there was also a lag in placing loaded boxes on ships.
The port planned to clear the cargo backup resulting from nine months of bargaining disputes in the next two months, but the latest disruption will only add to the existing congestion.
The port saw its January cargo volumes dip by 32% compared to the same period in 2013.
World Maritime News Staff